Bangkok Food Tours

One of
the best ways to see any new city or country is to dive, mouth first, into their
local cuisine. Taking a food tour exploring the backstreet and local eateries is
one the most authentic ways to enjoy any new location. Thailand’s
cuisine offers a heady mix of sweet, spicy and salty tastes to compliment most
foodie cravings. Coupled with the energetic chaos of the street food vendors
lighting their woks and whipping ingredients in a quick frenzy to produce
mouth-watering plates of food for a fraction of restaurant prices, makes for a
memorable meal.

Bangkok
Food Tours host a number of opportunities to delve into the ‘real’ Bangkok with
daytime tours, night markets and even an exotic bar crawl for those keen to see
the night-lights, and life, of the City of Angels. For those wishing to explore a Bangkok undeterred by the current wave of city development, Thonburi
Food and Canal tour takes in the ‘other side’ of city exploring local neighbourhoods
set within this 8-million people strong metropolis. Thonburi was once an old capital of Thailand on the west side of Chao Praya river, Bangkok’s
main water artery. In a city that has rapidly expanded in the past few
decades, this neighbourhood today preserves a charm and many of the traditions
of the past, surrounded by canals and agriculture land.

Meeting at the BTS Sky Train station, our small group of
three plus guide head to the local fresh produce market in Talat Phlu in the back on a songthaew,
a red open ended pickup truck that acts as a shared taxi popular in these
parts of S.E. Asia. But first stop, a street vendor selling savoury steamed dumplings filled with spinach-like greens laced in soya sauce. We sample standing street side the sweet/salty flavours a good start to what will be a belly filling morning. Next, on to a mamma and pappa style
soup eatery serving Tom Leod Moo, a simple bowl of meat broth layered with offal – heart, liver, kidney and pigskin - the cheap cuts of the
animal most people could afford in the past and a dish that continues to prove a popular breakfast
staple for many of the neighbourhoods residents.

Entering the fresh
food market, the smells of fresh herbs scent the air cut with the thump
of butcher’s knives as they slice the morning’s meat offerings. We wander
through the bustling scene taking in the local produce to a third generation
Thai coffee house by the canal edge. It feels like entering a film set in late
19th century Bangkok before modern day construction changed the
shape of the city. A group of elderly men play cards and sip sugary tea at a
nearby table; we dive into freshly made doughnuts perfect for dunking in the thick coffee which has
been strained and contains enough caffeine to keep the most budding coffee connoisseur awake for the next 48
hours.

At Wang Lang Food Markets, more food is devoured in a bustling restaurant with local medical students on
their lunch break from the hospital next door. Plates of spicy papaya salad, sweet
Thai sausage and crispy fried chicken are on the menu followed by a sweet finale of Tup Tim Krob, a dessert of soft, chewy water chestnuts served in ice and coconut milk.

Beyond food, there are the sights of the city to see taking a long boat down the winding canals, the few that remain in a city once referred to as the Venice of the East. Zipping by artisans in their open-aired workshops and past food sellers cooking their skewered meats in floating kitchens is a highlight. We stop by the Artist House, Baan Silapin, a centuries-old traditional Thai wooden dwelling on the canal edge that today is a gallery and puppet theatre and also a local Wat, Buddhist temple, where we were the only westerns exploring the lush tropical gardens.

The tour finishes by Tha Chang Pier ending an unforgettable morning of
exploring, eating, and experiencing the best cuisine Bangkok
has to offer. For those with intrepid tastebuds looking to experience the ‘old’ Bangkok, this tour is for you.